Rule2025-11554
Fisheries Off West Coast States; Modification of the West Coast Salmon Fisheries; Inseason Action #20
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
June 24, 2025
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NMFS announces one inseason action for the 2025 portion of the 2024-2025 ocean salmon fisheries. This inseason action modifies the commercial salmon fisheries in the area from the United States/Canada border to Cape Falcon, Oregon.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 119 (Tuesday, June 24, 2025)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 119 (Tuesday, June 24, 2025)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 26769-26770]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-11554]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 660
[Docket No. 240514-0137; RTID 0648-XE833]
Fisheries Off West Coast States; Modification of the West Coast
Salmon Fisheries; Inseason Action #20
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Inseason modification of 2024-2025 management measures.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS announces one inseason action for the 2025 portion of the
2024-2025 ocean salmon fisheries. This inseason action modifies the
commercial salmon fisheries in the area from the United States/Canada
border to Cape Falcon, Oregon.
DATES: The effective dates for this inseason action is set out in this
document under the heading ``Inseason Action'' and the action remains
in effect until superseded or modified.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anna Heeter, (971) 361-8895,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d998b7b7b8f791bcbcadbcab99b7b6b8b8f7beb6af"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="87c6e9e9e6a9cfe2e2f3e2f5c7e9e8e6e6a9e0e8f1">[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 2025-2026 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 (NOF) (United States/Canada border to Cape
Falcon, OR) and south of Cape Falcon (SOF) (Cape Falcon, OR, to the
United States/Mexico border). The action described in this document
affects the NOF commercial salmon fishery, as set out under the heading
Inseason Action below.
Consultation with the Council Chairman and representatives for the
appropriate State Directors on this inseason action occurred on April
22, 2025. This consultation included representatives from NMFS, Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Washington Department of Fish and
Wildlife. Representatives from the Salmon Advisory Subpanel and the
Salmon Technical Team (STT) were also present.
This inseason action was announced on NMFS' telephone hotline and
U.S. Coast Guard radio broadcast when the action became effective. (50
CFR 660.411(a)(2)).
Inseason Action
Inseason Action #20
Reason and authorization for the action: The 2024-2025 annual
management measures for ocean salmon fisheries (89 FR 44553, May 21,
2024; 89 FR 53529, June 27, 2024) established a May-June commercial
salmon fishery that included NOF subarea quotas that were based on
information available at the time the 2024 management measures were
adopted. The 2024 management measures allow for inseason action to
adjust fisheries scheduled to occur from March 15, 2024, through May
15, 2025 (or until the effective date of the 2025 management measures),
in response to new information on 2025 salmon stock abundance forecasts
and northern salmon fisheries impacts, to keep fisheries impacts within
management objectives and consistent with conservation needs. The
inseason action includes: (1) revisions to the quota for the NOF May-
June fishery to provide additional fishing opportunity in light of
higher forecasted stock abundances in 2025; (2) adjustments to decrease
landing and possession limits to account for the higher abundance and
quota in this area for 2025 versus 2024 and the uncertainty in catch
rates with higher forecasts, to preserve the quota for the length of
the season, and to manage the quota based on the specifics of each
subarea; and, (3) a management measure that allows Washington permitted
vessels that catch fish south of Leadbetter to land all species of fish
north of Leadbetter Point. This change supports the economics of the
Washington permitted fleet by allowing additional fish buyer and
moorage port selection and improving the logistics of fishing the
subarea and making deliveries. Each of these actions provides greater
access to the salmon resource for fishermen, increased stability for
the fishery, and increases safety at sea by allowing fishermen to
assess weather conditions and land in the closest available port, which
is particularly important given the higher landing limits described
above and anticipated higher effort levels. In addition, 2024
management measures provide a weekly landing and possession limit based
on the calendar week (Thursday--Wednesday). In addition, with the 2025
season starting on May 16, 2025, the fishery week starting on Thursday
May 15, 2025 would be reduced to 1 day. This inseason action adjusts
the landing and possession limits and expands the land and delivery
area for this single day to bridge the gap in the landing week and
account for higher abundance levels in 2025. These inseason measures
were superseded by the annual management measures for 2025, which
published on May 15, 2025.
The Regional Administrator (RA) considered the abundance forecasts
for Chinook salmon stocks, the timing of the action relative to the
length of the season, and catch levels in the fishery to date which
have been higher than anticipated, and determined that the inseason
action described above is necessary to meet management and conservation
goals set preseason. This inseason action modifies quotas, catch limits
and/or fishing seasons, and landing boundaries under 50 CFR
660.409(b)(1)(i) and (v).
Description of the action: Inseason action #20 modifies the ocean
salmon troll commercial fishery from the United States/Canada border to
Cape Falcon, OR.
Effective dates: Inseason action #20 takes effect for the following
areas and dates, and remains in effect until superseded.
<bullet> Effective May 1, 2025, the quota for the May-June North of
Falcon commercial ocean salmon troll fishery that opens May 1, 2025
will be modified to 36,800 Chinook salmon, no more than
[[Page 26770]]
8,000 of which may be caught in the area between the U.S./Canada border
the Queets River and no more than 6,000 of which may be caught in the
area between Leadbetter Point and Cape Falcon, Oregon.
<bullet> Effective May 1, 2025, vessels fishing or in possession of
salmon while fishing south of Leadbetter Point must land and deliver
all species of fish within the area south of Leadbetter Point, except
that Oregon permitted vessels may also land all species of fish in
Garibaldi, Oregon, and Washington permitted vessels may also land all
species of fish north of Leadbetter Point.
<bullet> Effective May 1, 2025, through May 14, 2025, the landing
and possession limit for the area between Cape Falcon, Oregon and the
U.S./Canada border will be modified to 250 Chinook salmon per vessel
per landing week (Thursday through Wednesday).
<bullet> Effective May 1, 2025, through May 14, 2025, the landing
and possession limit in the area between the U.S./Canada border and the
Queets River will be modified to 70 Chinook salmon per vessel per
landing week (Thursday through Wednesday).
<bullet> Effective May 1, 2025, through May 14, 2025, the landing
and possession limit in the area between the Queets River and
Leadbetter Point will be modified to 250 Chinook salmon per vessel per
landing week (Thursday through Wednesday).
<bullet> Effective May 1, 2025, through May 14, 2025, the landing
and possession limit in the area between Leadbetter Point and Cape
Falcon, Oregon, is 60 Chinook salmon per vessel per landing week
(Thursday through Wednesday).
<bullet> Effective May 15, 2025, no overall landing and possession
limit in effect for the entire area between the U.S./Canada border and
Cape Falcon, Oregon, and no subarea limit for the subarea between the
Queets River and Leadbetter Point.
<bullet> Effective May 15, 2025, the landing and possession limit
for the subarea between the U.S./Canada border and the Queets River to
100 Chinook salmon per vessel per landing week (Thursday through
Wednesday).
<bullet> Effective May 15, 2025, the landing and possession limit
in the subarea between Leadbetter Point and Cape Falcon to 80 Chinook
salmon per vessel per landing week (Thursday through Wednesday).
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; 90 FR 13840, March 27, 2025; 90 FR 16090,
April 17, 2025) except as previously modified by inseason 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 this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the MSA. This
action is 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)(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.
Delaying this action to allow for prior notice and opportunity for
public comment would result in an unnecessary loss of fishing
opportunity as this action responds to higher stock abundance forecasts
than those on which the measures in place were based. 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 (88 FR 30235, May 11, 2024), the Pacific Salmon
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 constrain fishing in a manner that is inconsistent with the goals
of the FMP, the MSA, and the current management measures.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: June 18, 2025.
Kelly Denit,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-11554 Filed 6-23-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on June 24, 2025.
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.