[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 202 (Wednesday, October 20, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 56474-56475]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-27379]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 990304063-9063-01; I.D. 101299E]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Reallocation
of Pollock
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Reallocation.
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SUMMARY: NMFS is reallocating projected unused amounts of Bering Sea
subarea (BS) pollock from the incidental catch account to the directed
fisheries. This action is necessary to allow the 1999 total allowable
catch (TAC) of pollock to be harvested.
DATES: Effective October 15, 1999.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew Smoker, 907-586-7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS manages the groundfish fishery in the
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI) exclusive
economic zone according to the Fishery Management Plan for the
Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area (FMP)
prepared by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council under
authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management
Act. Regulations governing fishing by U.S. vessels in accordance with
the FMP appear at subpart H of 50 CFR part 600 and 50 CFR part 679.
In accordance with section 206(b) of the American Fisheries Act
(AFA), NMFS specified a pollock incidental catch allowance equal to 6
percent of the pollock total allowable catch after subtraction of the
10 percent Community Development Quota reserve in the Final 1999
Harvest Specifications for Groundfish for the BSAI (64 FR 12103, March
11, 1999).
As of October 2, 1999, the Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS
(Regional Administrator), has determined that approximately 5,000
metric tons (mt) of pollock remain in the incidental catch account.
Based on projected harvest rates of other groundfish species and the
expected bycatch of pollock in those fisheries, the Regional
Administrator has determined that 2,000 mt of pollock specified to the
incidental catch account will not be necessary as incidental catch.
Therefore, NMFS is apportioning the projected unused amount, 2,000 mt,
of pollock
[[Page 56475]]
from the incidental catch account to the directed fishing allowances
established at section 206(b). This transfer will increase the
allocation to catcher vessels harvesting pollock for processing by the
inshore component by 1,000 mt, to catcher/processors and catcher
vessels harvesting pollock for processing by catcher processors in the
offshore component by 800 mt, and to catcher vessels harvesting pollock
for processing by motherships in the offshore component by 200 mt.
Pursuant to section 210(c) of the AFA, no less than 8.5 percent of the
800 mt allocated to catcher processors in the offshore component, 68
mt, will be available for harvest only by eligible catcher vessels
delivering to listed catcher processors.
Regulations in the emergency interim rule establishing Steller sea
lion protection measures for the pollock fisheries off Alaska allow for
catch to occur within a season so that pollock removals from all
sectors do not exceed 30 percent of the annual TAC (64 FR 3437, January
22, 1999). See Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(C). Thirty percent of the annual
pollock TAC is equal to 297,600 mt. With this apportionment the C
season catch for the three combined directed fisheries and the CDQ
fishery will be 265,000 mt thereby not violating the 30 percent
restriction.
Classification
This action responds to the best available information recently
obtained from the fishery. It must be implemented immediately in order
to allow full utilization of the pollock TAC. A delay in the effective
date is impracticable and contrary to the public interest. Further
delay would only disrupt the AFA and FMP's objective of providing
pollock for harvest in directed fisheries. NMFS finds for good cause
that the implementation of this action cannot be delayed for 30 days.
Accordingly, under 5 U.S.C. 553(d), a delay in the effective date is
hereby waived.
This action is taken under 50 CFR 679.20, and is exempt from OMB
review under E.O. 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: October 14, 1999.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-27379 Filed 10-15-99; 3:24 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
