[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 14 (Friday, January 21, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-1410]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: January 21, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 661
[I.D. #011094A]
Ocean Salmon Fisheries Off the Coasts of Washington, Oregon, and
California
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability of an amendment to a fishery management
plan and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: NMFS issues this notice that the Pacific Fishery Management
Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 11 (amendment) to the Fishery
Management Plan for Commercial and Recreational Salmon Fisheries Off
the Coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California (FMP) for review by
the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary). Amendment 11 would modify the
spawning escapement goal for Oregon coastal natural (OCN) coho salmon
and the criteria for establishing and managing subarea allocations for
recreational coho salmon harvest south of Cape Falcon, Oregon
(45 deg.46'00'' N. lat.), at relatively low harvest levels.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before March 10, 1994.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be mailed to J. Gary Smith, Acting Director,
Northwest Region, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, 7600 Sand
Point Way NE., BIN C15700-Bldg. 1, Seattle, WA 98115-0070, or Dr. Gary
Matlock, Acting Director, Southwest Region, National Marine Fisheries
Service, 501 West Ocean Blvd., suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213.
Copies of the amendment are available upon request from Lawrence D.
Six, Executive Director, Pacific Fishery Management Council, Metro
Center, Suite 420, 2000 SW. First Avenue, Portland, OR 97201-5344.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:William L. Robinson, Northwest Region,
NMFS, at 206-526-6140; Rodney R. McInnis, Southwest Region, NMFS, at
310-980-4040; or Lawrence D. Six, PFMC, at 503-221-6352.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson Fishery Conservation and
Management Act, 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. (Magnuson Act), requires that a
regional fishery management council submit any amendment to a fishery
management plan it has prepared to the Secretary for review and
approval, disapproval, or partial disapproval. The Magnuson Act also
requires that the Secretary, upon receipt of the amendment, immediately
publish a notice stating that the amendment is available for public
review and comment. The Secretary will consider all public comments
received during the public comment period in deciding whether to
approve the amendment for implementation.
Amendment 11 to the FMP was prepared by the Council and is intended
to address persistent low OCN coho stock abundance and annual
escapement goals below maximum sustainable yield (MSY), to avoid
imbalances in recreational coho harvest allocation at low allowable
harvest levels, and to avoid the frequent use of energy rulemaking to
implement annual management measures. The amendment proposes to modify
the OCN coho spawning escapement goal so as to achieve an aggregate OCN
adult spawning density of 42 naturally spawning adults per mile in
standard index survey areas, which currently is equivalent to 200,000
naturally spawning adults for Oregon coastal habitat, the MSY spawning
escapement goal identified in the FMP. When OCN coho abundance is
forecast to be less than 125 percent of the annual numerical escapement
goal, an exploitation rate of up to 20 percent will be allowed for
incidental impacts of the combined ocean troll, sport, and freshwater
fisheries. At OCN spawning escapements of 28 or fewer adults per mile,
an exploitation rate of up to 20 percent may be allowed to provide only
minimum incidental harvest to prosecute other fisheries and which will
cause no irreparable harm to the OCN stock.
The amendment also proposes to modify the subarea allocations for
the recreational fishery south of Cape Falcon when the allowable
recreational coho allocation for the entire area is equal to or less
than 167,000 fish. This modification is intended to maintain the
historical catch distribution between Oregon and California when stock
sizes are at low levels so that one geographical area is not
disproportionately affected by the harvest reductions. Two subareas
with independent impact quotas will be established: the subarea from
Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain, Oregon (42 deg.40'30'' N. lat.), would
receive 70 percent of the total recreational coho allocation, and the
subarea south of Humbug Mountain would receive 30 percent. The two
subareas will be managed for their respective impact quotas, and the
recreational fisheries for coho salmon in each area may be closed upon
attainment of the quota except for the area south of Point Arena,
California. South of Humbug Mountain, there are two additional
conditions: (1) an impact guideline of 3 percent of the overall south
of Cape Falcon recreational allocation will be applied from Horse
Mountain (40 deg.05'00'' N. lat.) to Point Arena, California
(38 deg.57'30'' N. lat.), and (2) the recreational fishery for coho
salmon will not be closed south of Point Arena upon attainment of the
south of Humbug Mountain impact quota, but the projected harvest
through the end of the year will be included in the south of Humbug
Mountain impact quota. Quota transfers between subareas are allowed on
a one-for-one basis, but only if chinook constraints preclude access to
coho salmon.
An environmental assessment and a regulatory impact review are
incorporated in the amendment. All are available for public review as
noted above.
Proposed regulations to implement this amendment are scheduled to
be published within 15 days of this notice.
List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 661
Fisheries, Fishing, Indians, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: January 14, 1994.
David S. Crestin,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 94-1410 Filed 1-14-94; 3:30 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-M
