Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 Cfr Part 679 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area; American Fisheries Act; Amendment 106

NMFS issues a proposed rule to implement Amendment 106 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI FMP). The proposed rule would allow the owner of an American Fisheries Act (AFA) vessel to rebuild or replace the vessel without limitation on the length, weight, or horsepower of the rebuilt or replacement vessel when the vessel is operating in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI). The proposed rule would also allow the owner of an AFA catcher vessel that is a member of an inshore cooperative to remove the vessel from the Bering Sea directed pollock fishery and assign the pollock catch history of the removed vessel to one or more vessels in the inshore cooperative to which the removed vessel belonged. This action is necessary to bring the regulations implementing the BSAI FMP into conformity with the AFA as amended by the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010. This action would also improve vessel safety and operational efficiency in the AFA fleet by allowing the rebuilding or replacement of AFA vessels with safer and more efficient vessels and by allowing the removal of inactive catcher vessels from the AFA fishery. This action is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the AFA, the BSAI FMP, and other applicable laws. DATES: Submit comments on or before August 4, 2014. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by NOAA-NMFS-2013-0097, by any one 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-20130097, click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments. • Mail: Address written comments to Glenn Merrill, Assistant Regional Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries Division, Alaska Region NMFS, Attn: Ellen Sebastian. Mail comments to P. O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802. Instructions: 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 http://www.regulations.gov without change. All Personal Identifying Information (for example, name, address) voluntarily submitted by the commenter 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). Attachments to electronic comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF file formats only. 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 at the above address; emailed to OIRA_ [email protected]; or faxed to 202–395–7285. Electronic copies of Amendment 106 to the FMP, the Regulatory Impact Review/Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (Analysis), and the Categorical Exclusion prepared for this action may be obtained from http:// www.regulations.gov or from the Alaska Region Web site at http:// alaskafisheries.noaa.gov. Additional analyses prepared for the AFA include the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for American Fisheries Act Amendments 61/61/13/8 (AFA FEIS) (February 2002); the FEIS for Essential Fish Habitat Identification and Conservation in Alaska (April 2005); the Alaska Groundfish Harvest Specifications—FEIS (January 2007); and the Bering Sea Chinook Salmon Bycatch Management—FEIS (December 2009). These analyses are available on the NMFS Alaska Region Web site at https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/ analyses/default.htm. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Alice McKeen, 907–586–7228. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS manages the groundfish fisheries of the BSAI in the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska under the BSAI FMP. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) prepared, and the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) approved, the BSAI FMP pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) and other applicable laws. General regulations that pertain to U.S. fisheries appear at subpart H of 50 CFR part 600. Regulations implementing the BSAI FMP appear at 50 CFR part 679. Unless noted otherwise, all references to regulations in this proposed rule are to regulations that are contained in Title 50 of the CFR.