[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 220 (Tuesday, November 16, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 62127-62128]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-29872]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 660
[Docket No. 99040113-01; I.D. 092199D]
Fisheries off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; West
Coast Salmon Fisheries; Commercial and Recreational Inseason
Adjustments and Reopening from Cape Flattery to Leadbetter Point, WA
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Reopening; inseason adjustments; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the following inseason adjustment: the
commercial salmon fishery in the area between Cape Alava to Leadbetter
Point, WA, for all salmon except chinook reopened on September 5, 1999,
with the suspension of certain gear restrictions and the coho trip
limit. The fishery closed on September 13, 1999, and will not reopen
until further notification. There were 12,400 coho remaining in the
quota when the fishery opened. Earlier in the season the 7,000 chinook
quota had been reached and the season was closed. But on September 2,
1999, there was a trade of 1,000 chinook, from the north of Cape Falcon
recreational salmon fisheries overall chinook quota, for 2,000 coho
from the 14,400 coho remaining in the commercial fishery from Cape
Alava to Leadbetter Point, WA. The 2,000 coho traded from the
commercial fishery were moved to the Cape Alava to Queets River subarea
recreational fishery increasing the coho subarea quota to 4,600 fish.
The 1,000 chinook were to be used to cover those chinook mortalities
related to chinook hooked and released during the 9-day commercial open
period targeting coho. These actions were necessary to conform to the
1999 management measures and were intended to ensure conservation of
chinook salmon.
DATES: The commercial salmon fishery from the area between Cape Alava
to Leadbetter Point, WA, reopened effective 0001 hours local time
(l.t.), September 5, 1999, and closed on September 13, 1999. Comments
will be accepted through December 1, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to William Stelle, Jr., Regional
Administrator, Northwest Region, NMFS, NOAA, 7600 Sand Point Way NE.,
Bldg. 1, Seattle, WA 98115-0070. Information relevant to this document
is available for public review during business hours at the Office of
the Regional Administrator, Northwest Region, NMFS.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Robinson, 206-526-6140.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
In the 1999 management measures for ocean salmon fisheries (64 FR
24078, May 5, 1999), NMFS announced that the commercial fishery for all
salmon from Cape Flattery (48 deg.23'00'' N. lat.) to Cape Alava
(48 deg.10'00'' N. lat.) West of 125 deg.05'00'' W. long. and Cape
Alava to Leadbetter Point, WA, would open July 10 through the earliest
of September 30, 1999, or attainment of the overall chinook quota
(preseason 4,500 chinook guideline) or 20,000 coho quota. In a previous
inseason adjustment NMFS transferred 2,500 chinook of the remaining
12,884 chinook salmon from the May/June commercial fishery to the July
through September fishery from Cape Flattery to Leadbetter Point, WA,
making the total guideline for this area for this period 7,000 chinook
salmon (64 FR 42856, August 6, 1999).
NMFS also made the additional inseason adjustments. First, NMFS
suspended certain gear restrictions (no more than 4 spreads per line;
gear restricted to plugs 6 in (15.2 cm) or longer; flashers without
hooks may be used if installed below the second spread from the top and
will not be counted as a spread; and no more than
[[Page 62128]]
one flasher per line), and also suspended the coho trip limit (where
each vessel may possess, land and deliver no more than 100 coho per
open period) for the open period from July 31 to August 3, 1999.
Second, the fishery was closed for the next scheduled open period,
August 7-10, 1999, until relevant data regarding the chinook catch was
collected and an analysis completed to make an adequate decision for
the remaining season. NMFS kept the area closed to fishing through
August 14, 1999. Third, NMFS reopened the area between Cape Alava to
Leadbetter Point, WA, from August 14 through August 17, 1999, with
suspension of gear restrictions and the coho trip limit. Fourth, the
estimated catch of chinook was higher than expected, with the total
catch as of August 19, 1999, at 7,224 chinook, exceeding the 7,000
chinook guideline, and the total catch of coho at 4,644; therefore,
NMFS closed the area to fishing for the remainder of the scheduled
season due to attainment of the 7,000 chinook guideline (64 FR 56177,
September 18, 1999).
On September 2, 1999, the Regional Administrator consulted with
representatives of the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council),
the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), and the Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) to discuss the status of catch
in both the commercial and recreational salmon fisheries north of Cape
Falcon. Earlier in the season the commercial fishery reached the 7,000
chinook quota between Cape Alava and Leadbetter point, WA, and the
season was closed. However, only 4,600 coho had been caught out of the
20,000 coho quota. The recreational fishery in the sub-area between
Cape Alava and Queets River, WA, caught 1,975 coho of the sub-area
quota of 2,600 coho. The chinook caught in the recreational salmon
fishery north of Cape Falcon was 9,077 fish, approximately 42 percent
of the overall chinook quota of 21,400 chinook.
The sub-area between Cape Alava and Queets River was nearing its
coho quota; however, the overall recreational chinook catch was well
below the 21,400 fish quota and, in light of a decreasing chinook catch
rate, it was very unlikely to reach half that amount with the
recreational seasons scheduled to close on September 30, 1999. The
States recommended a trade of 1,000 chinook from the north of Cape
Falcon recreational salmon fishery's overall chinook quota of 21,400
fish, for 2,000 coho transferred out of the 14,400 coho remaining in
the commercial fishery from Cape Alava to Leadbetter Point, WA. The
2,000 coho would be moved to the Cape Alava to Queets River subarea
recreational fishery, increasing the coho subarea quota from 2,600 to
4,600 fish, and the 1,000 chinook would be used to cover those chinook
mortalities related to chinook hooked and released during the 9-day
commercial open period targeting coho. In addition, the States
recommended that the previous suspension of certain gear restrictions
(no more than 4 spreads per line; gear restricted to plugs 6 in (15.2
cm) or longer; flashers without hooks may be used if installed below
the second spread from the top and will not be counted as a spread; and
no more than one flasher per line), and also the suspension of the coho
trip limit (where each vessel may possess, land and deliver no more
than 100 coho per open period) be continued for the 9-day commercial
open period targeting coho. Therefore, NMFS reopened the commercial
salmon fishery in the area between Cape Alava to Leadbetter Point, WA,
for all salmon except chinook on September 5 until September 13, 1999,
(when the fishery closed for the season until further notification),
with 12,400 coho remaining in the quota, suspension of certain gear
restrictions, and suspension of the coho trip limit. NMFS increased the
Cape Alava to Queets River subarea recreational salmon fishery's coho
subarea quota to 4,600 fish.
Modification of fishing seasons is authorized by regulations at 50
CFR 660.409(b)(1). All other restrictions that applied to these
fisheries remained in effect as announced in the annual management
measures.
In making these decisions, the Regional Administrator consulted
with representatives of the Council, WDFW, and ODFW. The States of
Washington and Oregon will manage the commercial and recreational
fisheries in state waters adjacent to this area of the exclusive
economic zone in accordance with this Federal action. As provided by
the inseason notification procedures of 50 CFR 660.411, actual notice
to fishermen of these actions was given prior the effective dates by
telephone hotline numbers 206-526-6667 and 800-662-9825, and by U.S.
Coast Guard Notice to Mariners broadcasts on Channel 16 VHF-FM and 2182
kHz. Because of the need for immediate action to make inseason
adjustments to allow harvest and to close the fishery upon achievement
of the quota, NMFS has determined that good cause exists for this
action to be issued without affording a prior opportunity for public
comment. These actions do not apply to other fisheries that may be
operating in other areas.
Classification
This action is authorized by 50 CFR 660.409 and 660.411 and is
exempt from review under E.O. 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: November 9, 1999.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-29872 Filed 11-15-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
