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Proposed Rules
Federal Register Vol. 86, No. 2
Tuesday, January 5, 2021

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER
contains notices to the public of the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 300
Docket No. 2012230353
RIN 0648BJ26

International Fisheries; Pacific Tuna Fisheries; 2021 Commercial Fishing Restrictions for Pacific Bluefin Tuna in the Eastern Pacific Ocean National Marine Fisheries Service NMFS, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA, Commerce.
ACTION: Proposed rule; request for comments.
AGENCY:

NMFS is proposing regulations under the Tuna Conventions Act of 1950, as amended TCA, to implement Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission IATTC Resolution C2002 Measures for the Conservation and Management of Bluefin Tuna in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, 2021. This proposed rule would implement annual limits on commercial catch of Pacific bluefin tuna Thunnus orientalis in the eastern Pacific Ocean EPO for 2021. This action is necessary to conserve Pacific bluefin tuna and for the United States to satisfy its obligations as a member of the IATTC.
DATES: Comments on the proposed rule and supporting documents must be submitted in writing by February 4, 2021.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by NOAA
NMFS20200163, by any of the following methods:
Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to http www.regulations.gov/
!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-20200163, click the Comment Now! icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments.

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Mail: Submit written comments to Celia Barroso, NMFS West Coast Region Long Beach Office, 501 W Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802.
Include the identifier NOAANMFS
20200163 in the comments.
Instructions: Comments must be submitted by one of the above methods to ensure they are received, documented, and considered by NMFS.
Comments sent by any other method, to any other address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, may not be considered. All comments received are a part of the public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on www.regulations.gov without change.
All personal identifying information e.g., name, address, etc. submitted voluntarily by the sender will be publicly accessible. Do not submit confidential business information, or otherwise sensitive or protected information. NMFS will accept anonymous comments enter N/A in the required fields if you wish to remain anonymous.
Written comments regarding the burden-hour estimates or other aspects of the collection-of-information requirements contained in this proposed rule may be submitted to NMFS West Coast Region Long Beach Office and to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
Find this particular information collection by selecting Currently under 30-day ReviewOpen for Public Comments or by using the search function.
Copies of the draft Regulatory Impact Review RIR and other supporting documents are available via the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http
www.regulations.gov, docket NOAA
NMFS20200163 or contact the Highly Migratory Species Branch Chief, Lyle Enriquez, 501 W. Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802, or WCR.HMS@noaa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Celia Barroso, NMFS, 5624321850, Celia.Barroso@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background on the IATTC
The United States is a member of the IATTC, which was established in 1949
and operates under the Convention for the Strengthening of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission Established by the 1949 Convention between the
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United States of America and the Republic of Costa Rica Antigua Convention. See: https www.iattc.org/
PDFFiles/IATTC-Instruments/_English/
IATTC_Antigua_
Convention%20Jun%202003.pdf.
The IATTC consists of 21 member nations and 5 cooperating non-member nations. The IATTC facilitates scientific research into, as well as the conservation and management of, tuna and tuna-like species in the IATTC
Convention Area Convention Area.
The Convention Area is defined as waters of the EPO within the area bounded by the west coast of the Americas and by 50 N latitude, 150 W
longitude, and 50 S latitude. The IATTC maintains a scientific research and fishery monitoring program, and regularly assesses the status of tuna, shark, and billfish stocks in the EPO to determine appropriate catch limits and other measures to promote sustainable fisheries and prevent overexploitation.
International Obligations of the United States Under the Convention As a Party to the Antigua Convention and a member of the IATTC, the United States is legally bound to implement decisions of the IATTC. The Tuna Conventions Act 16 U.S.C. 951 et seq.
directs the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Secretary of State and, with respect to enforcement measures, the U.S. Coast Guard, to promulgate such regulations as may be necessary to carry out the United States obligations under the Antigua Convention, including recommendations and decisions adopted by the IATTC. The authority of the Secretary of Commerce to promulgate such regulations has been delegated to NMFS.
Pacific Bluefin Tuna Stock Status In 2011, NMFS determined overfishing was occurring on Pacific bluefin tuna 76 FR 28422, May 17, 2011, which is considered a single Pacific-wide stock. Based on the results of a 2012 stock assessment conducted by the International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-like Species in the North Pacific Ocean ISC, NMFS determined that Pacific bluefin tuna was not only subject to overfishing, but was also overfished 78
FR 41033, July 9, 2013. Subsequently, based on the results of the 2014, 2016, and 2018 ISC stock assessments, NMFS

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