# Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Reallocation of Pollock in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
**AGENCY:**
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
**ACTION:**
Temporary rule; reallocation.
**SUMMARY:**
NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amounts of Community Development Quota (CDQ) and non-CDQ pollock from the Aleutian Islands subarea to the Bering Sea subarea and Bering Sea subarea pollock from the incidental catch allowance to the directed fisheries. These actions are necessary to provide opportunity for harvest of the 2006 total allowable catch (TAC) of pollock, consistent with the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP).
**DATES:**
Effective August 16, 2006, through 2400 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), December 31, 2006.
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
Josh Keaton, 907-586-7228.
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
NMFS manages the groundfish fishery in the BSAI according to the FMP prepared by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council under authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Regulations governing fishing by U.S. vessels in accordance with the FMP appear at subpart H of 50 CFR part 600 and 50 CFR part 679.
In the Aleutian Islands subarea, the 2006 TAC of non-CDQ pollock is 9,500 metric tons (mt) and the CDQ pollock is 1,140 mt as established by the 2006 and 2007 final harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (71 FR 10894, March 3, 2006) and the reallocation on March 3, 2006 (71 FR 11541, March 8, 2006).
As of August 10, 2006, the Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS, (Regional Administrator) has determined that the following amounts of pollock in the Aleutian Islands subarea will not be harvested: 4,000 mt of non-CDQ pollock and 1,140 mt of CDQ pollock. Therefore, in accordance with § 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)( *4* ), NMFS proportionally reallocates 4,000 mt of non-CDQ pollock and 1,140 mt of CDQ pollock from the Aleutian Islands subarea to the 2006 Bering Sea subarea B season allocations, as listed in Tables 3 and 10 of the 2006 and 2007 final harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (71 FR 11541, March 8, 2006).
The harvest specifications for pollock in the Aleutian Islands subarea included in the harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (71 FR 11541, March 8, 2006) are revised as follows: 5,500 mt to non-CDQ pollock and 0 mt to CDQ pollock.
The 2006 pollock incidental catch allowance in the BS was established as 44,967 mt by the 2006 and 2007 final harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (71 FR 10894, March 3, 2006), in accordance with § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)( *1* ) and the American Fisheries Act (AFA) (Public Law 105 277, Division C, Title II).
As of August 10, 2006, the Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS, has determined that approximately 20,072 mt of pollock remain in the incidental catch allowance. Based on projected harvest rates of other groundfish species and the expected incidental catch of pollock in those fisheries, the Regional Administrator has determined that 14,000 mt of pollock specified in the incidental catch allowance will not be necessary as incidental catch. Therefore, NMFS is apportioning the projected unused amount, 14,000 mt, of pollock from the incidental catch allowance to the directed fishing allowances established pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A).
Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5), Tables 3 and 10 of the 2006 and 2007 final harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (71 FR 11541, March 8, 2006) are revised for 2006 non-CDQ pollock and CDQ pollock allocations consistent with this reallocation. This reallocation results in proportional adjustments to the 2006 B season non-CDQ pollock directed fishery allocation (DFA) established at § 679.20(a)(5).
| Area and sector | 2006 Allocations | 2006 A season | A season DFA | SCA harvest limit | 2006 B season | B season DFA | 2007 Allocations | 2007 A season | A season DFA | SCA harvest limit | 2007 B season | B season DFA |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bering Sea subarea | 1,496,700 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1,500,000 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | | | |
| CDQ DFA | 150,400 | 60,160 | 41,793 | 90,240 | 149,670 | 59,868 | 41,908 | 89,802 | | | | |
| ICA | 30,967 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 45,236 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | | | |
| AFA Inshore | 657,666 | 261,148 | 181,626 | 396,518 | 652,547 | 261,019 | 182,713 | 391,528 | | | | |
| AFA Catcher/Processors | 526,133 | 208,918 | 145,301 | 317,215 | 522,038 | 208,815 | 146,171 | 313,223 | | | | |
| Catch by C/Ps | 481,412 | 191,160 | n/a | 290,252 | 477,664 | 191,066 | n/a | 286,599 | | | | |
| Catch by CVs | 44,721 | 17,758 | n/a | 26,963 | 44,373 | 17,749 | n/a | 26,624 | | | | |
| Unlisted C/P Limit | 2,631 | 1,045 | n/a | 1,586 | 2,610 | 1,044 | n/a | 1,566 | | | | |
| AFA Motherships | 131,533 | 52,230 | 36,325 | 79,304 | 130,509 | 52,204 | 36,543 | 78,306 | | | | |
| Excessive Harvesting Limit | 256,503 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 228,391 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | | | |
| Excessive Processing Limit | 439,720 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 391,528 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | | | |
| Total Bering Sea DFA | 1,465,733 | 582,456 | 405,045 | 883,277 | 1,454,764 | 581,906 | 407,334 | 872,858 | | | | |
| Aleutian Islands subarea | 6,160 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 19,000 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | | | |
| CDQ DFA | 0 | n/a | n/a | 0 | 1,900 | 760 | n/a | 1,140 | | | | |
| ICA | 1,800 | 1,200 | n/a | 600 | 1,800 | 1,200 | n/a | 600 | | | | |
| Aleut Corporation | 5,500 | 4,000 | n/a | 1,500 | 15,300 | 9,800 | n/a | 5,500 | | | | |
| Bogoslof District ICA | 10 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 10 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | | | |
| Cooperative name and member vessels | Sum of member vessel's official catch histories
(mt) | Percentage of inshore sector allocation | 2006 Annual cooperative allocation (mt) | 2007 Annual cooperative allocation (mt) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Akutan Catcher Vessel Association | | 31.145 | 204830 | 203,186 |
| Arctic Enterprise Association | | 1.146 | 7,535 | 7,476 |
| Northern Victor Fleet Cooperative | | 8.412 | 55,326 | 54,879 |
| Peter Pan Fleet Cooperative | | 2.876 | 18,916 | 18,763 |
| Unalaska Cooperative | | 12.191 | 80,173 | 79,533 |
| UniSea Fleet Cooperative | | 25.324 | 166,549 | 165,211 |
| Westward Fleet Cooperative | | 18.906 | 124,336 | 123,340 |
| Open access AFA vessels | | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total inshore allocation | 875,572 | 100 | 657,666 | 652,388 |
**Classification**
This action responds to the best available information recently obtained from the fishery. The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA (AA), finds good cause to waive the requirement to provide prior notice and opportunity for public comment pursuant to the authority set forth at 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) as such requirement is impracticable and contrary to the public interest. This requirement is impracticable and contrary to the public interest as it would prevent NMFS from responding to the most recent fisheries data in a timely fashion and would delay the reallocation of Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands pollock. Since the pollock fishery is currently open, it is important to immediately inform the industry as to the final Bering Sea subarea pollock allocations. Immediate notification is necessary to allow for the orderly conduct and efficient operation of this fishery; allow the industry to plan for the fishing season and avoid potential disruption to the fishing fleet as well as processors; and provide opportunity to harvest increased B season pollock allocations while value is optimum.
The AA also finds good cause to waive the 30-day delay in the effective date of this action under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3). This finding is based upon the reasons provided above for waiver of prior notice and opportunity for public comment.
This action is required by § 679.20 and is exempt from review under Executive Order 12866.
**Authority:**
16 U.S.C. 1801 *et seq.*
Dated: August 15, 2006.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.