# 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.
**SUMMARY:**
NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amounts of the Aleut Corporation's pollock directed fishing allowances from the Aleutian Islands subarea to the Bering Sea subarea directed fisheries. These actions are necessary to provide opportunity for harvest of the 2020 total allowable catch of pollock, consistent with the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area.
**DATES:**
Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), March 27, 2020, until 2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 2020.
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
Steve Whitney, 907-586-7228.
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
NMFS manages the groundfish fishery in the BSAI exclusive economic zone according to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP) prepared by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (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 portion of the 2020 pollock total allowable catch (TAC) allocated to the Aleut Corporation's directed fishing allowance (DFA) is 14,700 metric tons (mt) as established by the final 2020 and 2021 harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (85 FR 13553, March 9, 2020).
As of March 24, 2020, the Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS, (Regional Administrator) has determined that 10,000 mt of Aleut Corporation's DFA in the Aleutian Islands subarea will not be harvested. Therefore, in accordance with § 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)( *4* ), NMFS reallocates 10,000 mt of Aleut Corporation's DFA from the Aleutian Islands subarea to the Bering Sea subarea DFA allocations. The 10,000 mt of pollock in the Bering Sea subarea is apportioned to the AFA Inshore sector (50 percent), AFA catcher/processor sector (40 percent), and the AFA mothership sector (10 percent). The 2020 Bering Sea subarea pollock incidental catch allowance remains at 47,453 mt. As a result, the 2020 harvest specifications for pollock in the Aleutian Islands subarea included in the final 2020 and 2021 harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (85 FR 13553, March 9, 2020 and 85 FR 17034, March 26, 2020) are revised as follows: 4,700 mt to Aleut Corporation's DFA. Furthermore, pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5), Table 4 of the final 2020 and 2021 harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (85 FR 13553, March 9, 2020 and 85 FR 17034, March 26, 2020) is revised to make 2020 pollock allocations consistent with this reallocation.
| Area and sector | 2020 | 2020 A season | A season DFA | SCA harvest limit | 2020 B | B season |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bering Sea subarea TAC | 1,436,900 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| CDQ DFA | 144,400 | 64,980 | 40,432 | 79,420 | | |
| ICA | 47,453 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| Total Bering Sea non-CDQ DFA | 1,245,047 | 560,271 | 348,613 | 684,776 | | |
| AFA Inshore | 622,524 | 280,136 | 174,307 | 342,388 | | |
| AFA Catcher/Processors | 498,019 | 224,108 | 139,445 | 273,910 | | |
| Catch by C/Ps | 455,687 | 205,059 | n/a | 250,628 | | |
| Catch by CVs | 42,332 | 19,049 | n/a | 23,282 | | |
| Unlisted C/P Limit | 2,490 | 1,121 | n/a | 1,370 | | |
| AFA Motherships | 124,505 | 56,027 | 34,861 | 68,478 | | |
| Excessive Harvesting Limit | 217,883 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| Excessive Processing Limit | 373,514 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| Aleutian Islands subarea ABC | 55,120 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| Aleutian Islands subarea TAC | 7,100 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| CDQ DFA | | | n/a | | | |
| ICA | 2,400 | 1,200 | n/a | 1,200 | | |
| Aleut Corporation | 4,700 | 4,700 | n/a | | | |
| Area harvest limit | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| 541 | 16,536 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| 542 | 8,268 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| 543 | 2,756 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| Bogoslof District ICA | 75 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
**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 AI pollock. Since the pollock fishery opened January 20, 2020, 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 seasonal pollock allocations while value is optimum. NMFS was unable to publish a notice providing time for public comment because the most recent, relevant data only became available as of March 24, 2020.
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: March 27, 2020.
Hélène M.N. Scalliet,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.