Rule2022-18991
Fisheries Off West Coast States; Modification of the West Coast Salmon Fisheries; Inseason Actions #34 Through #36
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
September 2, 2022
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NMFS announces three inseason actions in the 2022 ocean salmon fisheries. These inseason actions modify the recreational and commercial salmon fisheries in the area from the United States/Canada border to the Oregon/California border.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 170 (Friday, September 2, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 170 (Friday, September 2, 2022)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 54171-54172]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-18991]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 660
[Docket No. 220510-0113; RTID 0648-XC289]
Fisheries Off West Coast States; Modification of the West Coast
Salmon Fisheries; Inseason Actions #34 Through #36
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Inseason modification of 2022 management measures.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces three inseason actions in the 2022 ocean salmon
fisheries. These inseason actions modify the recreational and
commercial salmon fisheries in the area from the United States/Canada
border to the Oregon/California border.
DATES: The effective dates for the inseason actions are set out in this
document under the heading Inseason Actions and the actions remain in
effect until superseded or modified.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shannon Penna at 562-980-4239, Email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#27744f4649494849097742494946674948464609404851"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f7a49f9699999899d9a792999996b799989696d9909881">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The 2022 annual management measures for ocean salmon fisheries (87
FR 29690, May 16, 2022), announced management measures for the
commercial and recreational fisheries in the area from the United
States (U.S.)/Canada border to the U.S./Mexico border, effective from
0001 hours Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), May 16, 2022, until the
effective date of the 2023 management measures, as published in the
Federal Register. NMFS is authorized to implement inseason management
actions to modify fishing seasons and quotas as necessary to provide
fishing opportunity while meeting management objectives for the
affected species (50 CFR 660.409). Inseason actions in the salmon
fishery may be taken directly by NMFS (50 CFR 660.409(a)--Fixed
inseason management provisions) or upon consultation with the Chairman
of the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council), and the
appropriate State Directors (50 CFR 660.409(b)--Flexible inseason
management provisions).
Management of the salmon fisheries is divided into two geographic
areas: north of Cape Falcon (NOF) (U.S./Canada border to Cape Falcon,
OR), and south of Cape Falcon (SOF) (Cape Falcon, OR, to the U.S./
Mexico border). The actions described in this document affect the NOF
commercial and recreational salmon fisheries, as set out under the
heading Inseason Action below.
Consultations with the Council Chairperson on these inseason
actions occurred on August 4, 2022 and August 10, 2022. Representatives
from NMFS, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), California Department of Fish
and Wildlife (CDFW) and Council staff participated in these
consultations. Members of the Salmon Advisory Subpanel and Salmon
Technical Team (STT) were also present on the calls.
These inseason actions were announced on NMFS's telephone hotline
and U.S. Coast Guard radio broadcast on the date of the consultations
(50 CFR 660.411(a)(2)).
Inseason Actions
Inseason Action #34
Description of the action: Inseason action #34 modifies the
commercial salmon troll fishery from Humbug Mountain, OR, to the
Oregon/California border (Oregon Klamath Management Zone (KMZ)). The
August 2022 quota increased from 250 Chinook salmon to 658 Chinook
salmon through an impact-neutral rollover of unused quota from the July
2022 commercial troll fishery in the same area.
Effective date: Inseason action #34 took effect on August 4, 2022,
and remains in effect until August 28, 2022, at 11:59 p.m.
Reason and authorization for the action: The 2022 commercial salmon
troll fishery in the Oregon KMZ includes three quota managed seasons:
June (800 Chinook salmon), July (400 Chinook salmon), and August (250
Chinook salmon) (87 FR 29690, May 16, 2022). After the July season, 627
Chinook salmon remained uncaught. The annual management measures (87 FR
29690, May 16, 2022) provide that any remaining portion of Chinook
salmon quotas in this fishery may be transferred inseason on an impact-
neutral basis to the next open quota period. The STT calculated the
impact-neutral transfer of 627 Chinook salmon from the July quota to
the August quota would result in adding 408 Chinook salmon to the
August quota, resulting in an adjusted August quota of 658 Chinook
salmon. The quota transfer is impact-neutral for spawning escapement
goals for Klamath River fall-run Chinook salmon (KRFC). This change
results in KRFC and Sacramento River fall-run Chinook salmon escapement
meeting or exceeding the escapement levels forecasted at the April 2022
Council meeting. The quota transfer also preserves 50/50 KRFC harvest
sharing between non-tribal Klamath River tribal fisheries and results
in a KRFC age-4 ocean harvest rate of 10 percent. This action did not
increase the overall 2022 Chinook salmon quota in the SOF commercial
salmon troll fishery.
The NMFS West Coast Region Regional Administrator (RA) considered
the landings of Chinook salmon in the SOF commercial salmon fishery to
date, fishery effort occurring to date as well as anticipated under the
proposal, and the Chinook salmon quota remaining and determined that
this inseason action was necessary to meet management and conservation
objectives. Inseason modification of quotas is authorized by 50 CFR
660.409(b)(1)(i).
Inseason Action #35
Description of the action: Inseason action #35 modifies the Chinook
salmon landing and possession limit for the commercial salmon troll
fishery across the entire north of Cape Falcon area, regardless of
subarea, to: 40 Chinook salmon per vessel per landing week (Thursday
through Wednesday).
Effective date: Inseason action #35 took effect on August 5, 2022,
and remains in effect until superseded.
Reason and authorization for the action: Inseason action #35 was
necessary to allow opportunity to catch the remainder of the Chinook
salmon quota and to allow greater access to coho salmon in the
commercial salmon troll fishery. The RA considered the landings of
Chinook and coho salmon to date and projected catch, fishery effort
occurring to date and projected effort, and quotas set preseason and
determined that this inseason action was necessary to meet management
goals to fully utilize the salmon quotas
[[Page 54172]]
set preseason while not exceeding conservation objectives. The
modification of commercial landing and possession limits is authorized
by 50 CFR 660.409(b)(1)(i).
Inseason Action #36
Description of the action: Inseason action #36 modifies the Chinook
salmon landing and possession limit for the commercial salmon troll
fishery across the entire north of Cape Falcon area, regardless of
subarea, to: 30 Chinook salmon per vessel per landing week (Thursday
through Wednesday).
Effective date: Inseason action #36 took effect on August 11, 2022,
and remains in effect until superseded.
Reason and authorization for the action: Inseason action #36 was
necessary to slow the rate of Chinook salmon catch in order to preserve
the length of the salmon fishing season by setting a lower landing and
possession limit. The RA considered the landings of Chinook salmon to
date and projected catch, fishery effort occurring to date and
projected effort, and quotas set preseason and determined that this
inseason action was necessary to provide greater fishing opportunity
and provide economic benefit to the fishery-dependent community by
preserving season length. The modification of commercial landing and
possession limits is authorized by 50 CFR 660.409(b)(1)(i).
All other restrictions and regulations remain in effect as
announced for the 2022 ocean salmon fisheries (87 FR 29690, May 16,
2022), as modified by previous inseason action (87 FR 41260, July 12,
2022; 87 FR 49534, August 11, 2022; 87 FR 49534).
The RA determined that these inseason actions were warranted based
on the best available information on Pacific salmon abundance
forecasts, landings to date, anticipated fishery effort and projected
catch, and the other factors and considerations set forth in 50 CFR
660.409. The states and tribes manage the fisheries in state waters
adjacent to the areas of the U.S. exclusive economic zone (3-200
nautical miles; 5.6-370.4 kilometers) off the coasts of the states of
Washington, Oregon, and California consistent with these Federal
actions. As provided by the inseason notice procedures at 50 CFR
660.411, actual notice of the described regulatory actions was given,
prior to the time the actions became effective, by telephone hotline
numbers 206-526-6667 and 800-662-9825, and by U.S. Coast Guard Notice
to Mariners broadcasts on Channel 16 VHF-FM and 2182 kHz.
Classification
NMFS issues these actions pursuant to section 305(d) of the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). These
actions are authorized by 50 CFR 660.409, which was issued pursuant to
section 304(b) of the MSA, and are exempt from review under Executive
Order 12866.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B), there is good cause to waive
prior notice and an opportunity for public comment on this action, as
notice and comment would be impracticable and contrary to the public
interest. Prior notice and opportunity for public comment on this
action was impracticable because NMFS had insufficient time to provide
for prior notice and the opportunity for public comment between the
time Chinook and coho salmon abundance, catch, and effort information
were developed and fisheries impacts were calculated, and the time the
fishery modifications had to be implemented in order to ensure that
fisheries are managed based on the best scientific information
available and that fishery participants can take advantage of the
additional fishing opportunity these changes provide. As previously
noted, actual notice of the regulatory actions was provided to fishers
through telephone hotline and radio notification. These actions comply
with the requirements of the annual management measures for ocean
salmon fisheries (87 FR 29690, May 16, 2022), the Fishery Management
Plan (FMP), and regulations implementing the FMP under 50 CFR 660.409
and 660.411.
There is good cause under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3) to waive the 30-day
delay in effective date, as a delay in effectiveness of this action
would restrict fishing at levels inconsistent with the goals of the FMP
and the current management measures.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: August 29, 2022.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-18991 Filed 9-1-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 2, 2022.
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