Widow rockfish quota share reallocation and divestiture deadlines

Under Amendment 20, overfished species such as widow rockfish were allocated to permit holders based on the quota share allocation of the target species with which the overfished species are incidentally caught. Amendment 20 states that for overfished species, the quota share allocations may be reconsidered when the species is rebuilt.

Widow rockfish is now rebuilt, and in November 2014 the Council adopted a range of alternatives for reallocating widow rockfish quota shares. In April 2015, the Council approved a reallocation of widow rockfish quota shares among those who initially received quota shares. The allocation formula selected approximates the allocation formula used for species that were not overfished when the program was initially implemented. It includes an equal allocation component, allocations based on 1994-2002 widow landing history for non-whiting trips, and allocations proportional to individual whiting quota shares allocations.

A moratorium on the trading of widow quota shares was in place until the reallocation was implemented. Once trading began, entities receiving widow quota shares in excess of the control limit had one year to divest themselves down to that limit. Additionally, if the widow quota share reallocation pushed an entity over the aggregate non-whiting control limit, it had the same period to divest down to that limit.

With respect to the quota share control limits for all other species and the aggregate non-whiting quota share control limit, divestiture down to those limits was required by November 30, 2015. A final environmental assessment was published on October 15, 2017.  The final rule was published on November 24, 2017, with a first effective date of December 26, 2017.