Rule2025-05259
Fisheries Off West Coast States; Modification of the West Coast Salmon Fisheries; Inseason Actions #17 Through #18
Primary source
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Published
March 27, 2025
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NMFS announces two inseason actions for the 2024 portion of the 2024-2025 ocean salmon fisheries. These inseason actions modify the recreational and commercial salmon fisheries in the area from Cape Falcon, OR, to the United States/Mexico border.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 58 (Thursday, March 27, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 58 (Thursday, March 27, 2025)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 13840-13842]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-05259]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 660
[Docket No. 240514-0137; RTID 0648-XE743]
Fisheries Off West Coast States; Modification of the West Coast
Salmon Fisheries; Inseason Actions #17 Through #18
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Inseason modification of 2024-2025 management measures.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces two inseason actions for the 2024 portion of
the 2024-2025 ocean salmon fisheries. These inseason actions modify the
recreational and commercial salmon fisheries in the area from Cape
Falcon, OR, to the United States/Mexico border.
DATES: The effective dates for these inseason actions are set out in
this
[[Page 13841]]
document under the heading ``Inseason Actions'' and the actions remain
in effect until superseded or modified.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anna Heeter, (971) 361-8895,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#fdbc93939cd3b5989889988fbd93929c9cd39a928b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="25644b4b440b6d4040514057654b4a44440b424a53">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The annual management measures for the 2024-2025 ocean salmon
fisheries (89 FR 44553, May 21, 2024; 89 FR 53529, June 27, 2024)
govern the commercial and recreational fisheries in the area from the
United States/Canada border to the United States/Mexico border,
effective from 0001 hours Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), May 16, 2024,
until the effective date of the 2024-2025 management measures, as
published in the Federal Register. These measures include early season
fisheries in March through mid-May of 2025 that may be adjusted through
inseason action when abundance forecasts for 2025 salmon returns become
available. NMFS is authorized to implement inseason management actions
to modify fishing seasons, catch limits, and quotas as necessary to
provide fishing opportunities 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 (United States/Canada border to Cape
Falcon, OR) and south of Cape Falcon (SOF) (Cape Falcon, OR, to the
United States/Mexico border). The actions described in this document
affect the SOF commercial and recreational fisheries, as set out under
the heading Inseason Actions below.
Consultation with the Council Chairman and representatives for the
appropriate State Directors on these inseason actions occurred on March
10, 2025. These consultations included representatives from NMFS,
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and California Department of
Fish and Wildlife. Representatives from the Salmon Advisory Subpanel
and the Salmon Technical Team (STT) were also present.
These inseason actions were announced on NMFS' telephone hotline
and U.S. Coast Guard radio broadcast on the date of the consultations
(50 CFR 660.411(a)(2)).
Inseason Actions
Reason and Authorization for Inseason Action #17-18
At its March 4-11, 2025 meeting, the STT presented stock abundance
forecasts for 2025 for salmon stocks managed under the Pacific Coast
Salmon Fishery Management Plan (FMP). Based on the STT's report, SOF
ocean salmon fisheries will be constrained in 2025 by the very low
abundance forecasts for Klamath River fall-run Chinook (KRFC) salmon
and Sacramento River fall-run Chinook (SRFC) salmon. KRFC salmon were
determined by NMFS to be overfished under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (MSA) in 2018 and continue to meet the
criteria for overfished status. In 2021, NMFS determined that SRFC,
which were previously determined to be overfished, had achieved rebuilt
status (87 FR 25429) due to several years of higher escapements.
However, the Sacramento River has been experiencing low flows and high
temperatures in recent years associated with decades of frequent
droughts; these conditions have adversely affected the stock. The
preliminary 2025 Sacramento Index (SI) forecast is 165,655. Application
of this forecast to the SRFC harvest control rule results in a maximum
allowable exploitation rate of 26.4 percent (just above the de minimus
level of 25 percent) and a minimum hatchery and natural area escapement
of 122,000 adults. This fishery would need to be severely constrained
in order to meet this lower escapement goal of 122,000 adults. Due to
these circumstances and the SI forecast being one of the lowest since
the 1970s, caution is warranted to reduce the chances that the stock
becomes overfished again. KRFC Chinook salmon expected abundance is low
enough that the stock will be managed under the de minimus provisions
of the harvest control rule in the FMP. In addition, the abundance of
these stocks has been substantially over-forecast in recent years, and
escapement has been much lower than anticipated preseason. To reduce
the impacts on KRFC salmon and SRFC salmon, given the low forecasts,
NMFS took inseason action on March 10, 2025, concurrent with the March
Council meeting to restrict some fisheries that were previously
scheduled to open prior to May 16, 2024.
The NMFS West Coast Regional Administrator (RA) considered the
abundance forecasts for Chinook salmon stocks and the projected impacts
in the ocean salmon fisheries, as modeled by the STT, and determined
that the inseason actions described below are necessary to meet
management and conservation goals set preseason. These inseason actions
modify landing and possession limits, quotas and/or fishing seasons
under 50 CFR 660.409(b)(1)(i).
Inseason Action #17
Description of the action: Inseason action #17 modifies the ocean
salmon recreational fishery and the ocean salmon troll commercial
fishery from the Oregon/California border to the U.S./Mexico border.
These fisheries are closed through May 15, 2025, or until superseded.
Effective dates: Inseason action #17 takes effect for the following
areas and dates, and remains in effect until superseded.
<bullet> Effective May 1, 2025, at 12:01 a.m., for the ocean salmon
troll commercial fishery from the Oregon/California border to Humboldt
South Jetty (California Klamath Management Zone).
<bullet> Effective April 16, 2025, at 12:01 a.m., for the ocean
salmon troll commercial fishery from lat. 40[deg]10' N to Point Arena,
CA (Fort Bragg management area).
<bullet> Effective May 1, 2025, at 12:01 a.m., for the ocean salmon
troll commercial fishery from Point Arena, CA, to Pigeon Point, CA (San
Francisco management area).
<bullet> Effective May 1, 2025, at 12:01 a.m., for the ocean salmon
troll commercial fishery from Pigeon Point, CA, to the U.S./Mexico
border (Monterey management area).
<bullet> Effective April 5, 2025, at 12:01 a.m., for the ocean
salmon recreational fishery from the Oregon/California border to
latitude 40[deg]10' N (California Klamath Management Zone).
<bullet> Effective April 5, 2025, at 12:01 a.m., for the ocean
salmon recreational fishery from latitude 40[deg]10' N and Point Arena,
CA (Fort Bragg management area).
<bullet> Effective April 5, 2025, at 12:01 a.m., for the ocean
salmon recreational fishery from Point Arena, CA, to Pigeon Point, CA
(San Francisco Management Area).
<bullet> Effective April 5, 2025, at 12:01 a.m., for the ocean
salmon recreation fishery from Pigeon Point, CA, to the U.S./Mexico
border (Monterey Management Area).
Inseason Action #18
Description of the action: Inseason action #18 modifies the SOF
commercial salmon troll fishery. In the area between Cape Falcon, OR,
and the Oregon/California border. These fisheries are closed for some
of the dates
[[Page 13842]]
they were originally scheduled to be open, as described below.
Effective dates: Inseason action #18 takes effect for the following
areas and dates, and remains in effect until superseded.
<bullet> Effective March 15, 2025, at 12:01 a.m., for the
commercial salmon troll fishery in the area between Cape Falcon, OR,
and Humbug Mountain, OR, through April 9, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.
<bullet> Effective March 15, 2025, at 12:01 a.m., for the
commercial salmon troll fishery in the area between Humbug Mountain and
the Oregon/California border through April 14, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.
All other restrictions and regulations remain in effect as
announced for the 2024-2025 ocean salmon fisheries (89 FR 44553, May
21, 2024; 89 FR 53529, June 27, 2024; 89 FR 61355, July 31, 2024; 89 FR
104895, December 26, 2024) except as previously modified by inseason
actions.
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 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. As previously noted, actual notice of the regulatory action
was provided to fishers through telephone hotlines and radio
notifications. These actions comply with the requirements of the annual
management measures for ocean salmon fisheries (89 FR 44553, May 21,
2024; 89 FR 53529, June 27, 2024), the 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 allow fishing at levels inconsistent with the goals of the FMP
and the current management measures.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: March 24, 2025.
Karen H. Abrams,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-05259 Filed 3-26-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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