Rule2022-09686
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fisheries; Final 2022 Specifications
Primary source
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Published
May 10, 2022
Effective
May 10, 2022
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NMFS is finalizing specifications for fishing year 2022 for the chub mackerel, butterfish, longfin squid, and Illex squid fisheries. This action is necessary to reaffirm previously approved projected allowable harvest levels that will prevent overfishing and allow harvesting of optimum yield for all the species of the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan. These specifications are intended to promote the sustainable utilization and conservation of the mackerel, squid, and butterfish resources.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 90 (Tuesday, May 10, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 90 (Tuesday, May 10, 2022)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 27952-27953]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-09686]
[[Page 27952]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 220502-0109; RTID 0648-XB884]
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Mackerel,
Squid, and Butterfish Fisheries; Final 2022 Specifications
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: NMFS is finalizing specifications for fishing year 2022 for
the chub mackerel, butterfish, longfin squid, and Illex squid
fisheries. This action is necessary to reaffirm previously approved
projected allowable harvest levels that will prevent overfishing and
allow harvesting of optimum yield for all the species of the Mackerel,
Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan. These specifications are
intended to promote the sustainable utilization and conservation of the
mackerel, squid, and butterfish resources.
DATES: Effective May 10, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Aly Pitts, Fishery Management
Specialist, (978) 281-9352.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations implementing the Mackerel,
Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) require the Mid-
Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish
Monitoring Committee to develop specification recommendations for each
species based upon the acceptable biological catch (ABC) advice of the
Council's Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC).
On July 22, 2021 (86 FR 38586), we published a final rule in the
Federal Register setting new 2021 and projected specifications for
fishing year 2022 butterfish and Illex squid, while maintaining the
current longfin squid, Atlantic mackerel, and chub mackerel
specifications for 2021 and projected for 2022-2023. The proposed rule
for that action included additional background on specifications and
the details of how the Council derived its recommended specifications
for Atlantic mackerel, chub mackerel, Illex squid, longfin squid, and
butterfish. Those details are not repeated here; for additional
information, please refer to the proposed rule for that action. This
action will reaffirm the 2022 specifications for chub mackerel, Illex
squid, longfin squid, and butterfish (Table 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6). The
Atlantic mackerel specifications for 2022 were set by a separate
action, effective on January 7, 2022 (87 FR 1700), and are not modified
by this action.
Table 1--Longfin Squid Final 2022 Specifications
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Specification Metric tons
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Overfishing Limit (OFL)................. Unknown.
Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC)....... 23,400.
Initial Optimum Yield (IOY)............. 22,932.
Domestic Annual Harvest (DAH), Domestic 22,932.
Annual Processing (DAP).
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Table 2--Longfin Quota Trimester Allocations Final 2022 Specifications
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Metric
Trimester Percent tons
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I (Jan-Apr)....................................... 43 9,861
II (May-Aug)...................................... 17 3,898
III (Sep-Dec)..................................... 40 9,173
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Table 3--Butterfish Final 2022 Specifications
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Specification Metric tons
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OFL..................................................... 24, 341
ABC..................................................... 17,854
Annual Catch Target (ACT)............................... 16,961
Assumed discards........................................ 637
Total discards.......................................... 5,466
Butterfish cap in longfin fishery....................... 3,884
DAH..................................................... 11,495
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Table 4--2022 Trimester Allocation of Butterfish Mortality Cap on the
Longfin Squid Fishery
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Metric
Trimester Percent tons
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I (Jan-Apr)....................................... 43 1,670
II (May-Aug)...................................... 17 660
III (Sep-Dec)..................................... 40 1,554
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Total......................................... 100 3,844
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Table 5--Illex Squid Final 2022 Specifications
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Specification Metric tons
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OFL..................................... Unknown.
ABC..................................... 33,000.
IOY..................................... 31,478.
DAH/DAP................................. 31,478.
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Table 6--Atlantic Chub Mackerel Final 2022 Specifications
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Specification Metric tons
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ABC..................................................... 2,300
ACL..................................................... 2,262
ACT..................................................... 2,171
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Total Allowable Landings............................ 2,041
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Classification
The NMFS Assistant Administrator has determined that this final
rule is consistent with the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery
Management Plan, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act, and other applicable law.
This rule is exempt from review under Executive Order 12866 because
this action contains no implementing regulations.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), we find good cause to waive prior
public notice and opportunity for public comment on the catch limit and
allocation adjustments, because allowing time for notice and comment
would be unnecessary and contrary to the public interest. The proposed
rule for the 2021-2023 specifications provided the public with the
opportunity to comment on the
[[Page 27953]]
specifications, including the projected 2022 through 2023
specifications (86 FR 28323, May 26, 2021). The 2022 specifications
presented here were previously approved through the 2021-2023
specifications and this final rule is intended to officially reaffirm
these specifications. Further, this final rule contains no changes from
the projected 2022 specifications that were included in both the May
26, 2021, proposed rule and the July 22, 2021, final rule. The
butterfish specifications were decreased by 72 percent in 2021 from
2020, but this rule increases the allowable catch by 53 percent.
Implementing these specifications will reduce the likelihood of an
unnecessary closure of the butterfish fishery and will avoid confusion.
The public and industry participants expect this action. Through both
the proposed rule and final rules for the 2021-2023 specifications, we
alerted the public that we would conduct a review of the latest
available data in each of the interim years of the multi-year
specifications and may make changes if warranted. Thus, the proposed
and final rules that contained the projected 2021-2023 specifications
provided a full opportunity for the public to comment on the substance
and process of this action. Based on these considerations, we further
find, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 (d)(3), good cause to waive the 30-day
delayed effectiveness period for the reasons stated above.
The Chief Counsel for Regulation, Department of Commerce,
previously certified to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small
Business Administration (SBA) that the 2022 chub mackerel, Illex squid,
longfin quid, and butterfish specifications would not have a
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
Implementing the 2022 specifications will not change the conclusions
drawn in that previous certification to the SBA. Because advance notice
and the opportunity for public comment are not required for this action
under the Administrative Procedure Act, or any other law, the
analytical requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C.
601, et seq., do not apply to this rule. Therefore, no new regulatory
flexibility analysis is required and none has been prepared.
This action does not contain a collection of information
requirement for the purposes of the Paperwork Reduction Act.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: May 2, 2022.
Samuel D. Rauch, III
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-09686 Filed 5-9-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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