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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 60 / Wednesday, March 31, 2021 / Proposed Rules
This action implements minor regulatory changes required to administer EM. These changes are implemented under our section 305d authority in the Magnuson-Stevens Ace to make changes necessary to carry out the FMP. We are implementing these changes in conjunction with the sector rule for expediency purposes.
Catch Limits for Fishing Year 2021
Previously Established Catch Limits Last year, Framework 59 to the FMP
set fishing year 2021 catch limits for 15
groundfish stocks 85 FR 45794; July 30, 2020. The 2021 catch limits for most stocks remain the same as, or similar, to 2020 limits. Framework 59 did not specify a 2021 catch limit for GOM
winter flounder, Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic SNE/MA winter flounder, redfish, ocean pout, Atlantic wolffish, Eastern GB cod, or Eastern GB
haddock. Eastern GB cod and haddock are management units of the GB cod and GB haddock stocks that NMFS manages jointly with Canada, and the shared quota is set annually.
This year, in Framework 61 to the FMP, the Council adopted new or adjusted fishing year 2021 catch limits for: GB haddock; GB yellowtail flounder; GB winter flounder; GOM
winter flounder; SNE/MA winter flounder; redfish; Northern windowpane flounder; Southern windowpane flounder; ocean pout;
Atlantic halibut; and Atlantic wolffish.
Framework 61 would set 2021 catch limits for the two U.S./Canada stocks Eastern GB cod and Eastern GB
haddock. It would adjust the breakdown of sub-components for GB
cod, GOM cod, SNE/MA yellowtail flounder, CC/GOM yellowtail flounder,
witch flounder, and white hake.
Framework 61 also included the exemption for sector vessels to target redfish with codend mesh as small as 5.5 inches 13.97 cm as a universal exemption. We are working to publish a proposed rule to request comments on the Framework 61 measures once the Council submits the action to us for review and approval. We do not expect we will not be able to implement Framework 61 measures, if approved, before May 1, 2021.
As a result, this rule announces the 2021 catch limits set in Framework 59
that would be effective on May 1, 2021, including preliminary sector and common pool allocations based on final 2020 fishing year rosters Table 1. If we approve Framework 61, the 2021 catch limits announced in this rule for these stocks will change.
The Framework 59 fishing year 2021
ACL for GB yellowtail flounder is 95.4
metric tons mt, which will be in place on May 1. The Council recommended a fishing year 2021 ACL of 63.6 mt for GB
yellowtail flounder in Framework 61.
This is a 33-percent decrease, which will go into effect after May 1 if Framework 61 is approved. The Council also revised the fishing year 2021 ACL
for GOM cod to 270.4 mt. This a 2percent decrease from the fishing year 2021 ACL previously set in Framework 59. The adjustments are based on the recommendation of the Transboundary Management Guidance Committee, which is the joint U.S./Canada management body that meets annually to recommend shared quotas for the three transboundary stocks. The Councils recommendations will be further discussed in the Framework 61
proposed rule. We are highlighting these
changes in this rule because the GB
yellowtail flounder and GOM cod sector allocations proposed in this rule are based on the higher 2021 catch limits previously approved in Framework 59.
If the Councils recommended catch limits become final with no changes, ACE for these stocks will be reduced when Framework 61 is implemented.
Default Catch Limits This rule also announces default catch limits for GOM winter flounder, SNE/MA winter flounder, redfish, ocean pout, Atlantic wolffish, Eastern GB cod, and Eastern GB haddock. These stocks do not already have a catch limit in place for fishing year 2021. The groundfish regulations implement default catch limits for any stock for which final specifications are not in place by the beginning of the fishing year on May 1. The FMPs default specifications provision sets catch at 35
percent of the previous years 2020
catch limits, except in instances where the default catch limit would exceed the Councils recommendation. The fishing year 2021 state waters and other subcomponents specified for redfish in Framework 59 exceed the Councils fishing year 2021 redfish recommendation in Framework 61.
These sub-components would be reduced accordingly. The default catch limit would be effective from May 1
through July 31, or until the final rule for Framework 61 is implemented if prior to July 31. To comply with these regulations and minimize impacts on the fishery we are announcing these default specifications. If Framework 61
is not in place on or before July 31, all fishing for these stocks would be prohibited beginning August 1.

TABLE 1NORTHEAST MULTISPECIES CATCH LIMITS FOR 2021

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Stock
Total ACL

GB Cod
GOM Cod
GB Haddock
GOM Haddock
GB Yellowtail Flounder
SNE/MA Yellowtail Flounder ..
CC/GOM Yellowtail Flounder
American Plaice
Witch Flounder
GB Winter Flounder
GOM Winter Flounder
SNE/MA Winter Flounder
Redfish
White Hake
Pollock
N. Windowpane Flounder
S. Windowpane Flounder
Ocean Pout
Atlantic Halibut
Atlantic Wolffish

Groundfish sub-ACL

1,234
523
72,699
15,843
116
21
787
2,740
1,414
545
151
245
3,973
2,041
21,047
55
412
42
102
29

Preliminary sector sub-ACL

1,073
468
70,892
15,575
95
15
688
2,682
1,310
522
100
189
3,931
2,019
19,282
38
48
32
77
29

Preliminary common pool sub-ACL

Recreational sub-ACL

Midwater trawl fishery
Scallop fishery
Small-mesh fisheries
31
9 1,428
258
3 3
32
71
35
21
5 22
51
24
190
38
48
32
77
29

193
5,295

1,424
156

19
2




12
143

2

1,041
267
69,465
10,022
92
12
656
2,611
1,275
502
95
166
3,880
1,995
19,092
na na na na na
State waters sub-component
Other sub-component
19
48
0 56
0 0
58
29
44
0 48
13
0 11
882
1 26
0 21
0

142
7 383
56
0 4
41
29
59
22
2 43
0 11
882
5 196
9 4
0

These catch limits are based on fishing year 2021 Framework 59 and/or default specifications, and will be replaced when the final rule for Framework 61 becomes effective, if approved.

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