Fisheries off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan; Amendments 20 and 21; Trawl Rationalization Program

NMFS is implementing Amendments 20 and 21 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP), which were partially approved by the Secretary on August 9, 2010. Amendment 20 establishes a trawl rationalization program for the Pacific Coast groundfish fishery. Amendment 20's trawl rationalization program consists of: an individual fishing quota (IFQ) program for the shorebased trawl fleet (including whiting and non-whiting sectors); and cooperative (coop) programs for the at-sea (whiting only) mothership and catcher/processor trawl fleets. The trawl rationalization program is intended to increase net economic benefits, create individual economic stability, provide full utilization of the trawl sector allocation, consider environmental impacts, and achieve individual accountability of catch and bycatch. Amendment 21 establishes fixed allocations for limited entry trawl participants. These allocations are intended to improve management under the rationalization program by streamlining its administration, providing stability to the fishery, and addressing halibut bycatch. This rule finalizes only certain key components necessary for issuance of permits and endorsements in time for use in the 2011 fishery and in order to have the 2011 specifications reflect the new allocation scheme. Specifically, this rule establishes the allocations set forth under Amendment 21 and establishes procedures for initial issuance of permits, endorsements, quota shares (QS), and catch history assignments under the IFQ and coop programs. In addition, this rule restructures the entire Pacific Coast groundfish regulations to more closely track the organization of the proposed management measures and to make the total groundfish regulations more clear.