[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 215 (Tuesday, November 5, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 56902-56903]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-28402]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
50 CFR Part 660
[Docket No. 951227306-5306-01; I.D. 102996A]
Fisheries Off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific;
Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Trip Limit Reductions
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Fishing restrictions; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces further restrictions to the Pacific Coast
groundfish fishery for yellowtail rockfish. This action is authorized
by regulations implementing the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery
Management Plan (FMP), which governs the groundfish fishery off
Washington, Oregon, and California. This restriction is intended to
keep landings as close as possible to the 1996 harvest guideline for
yellowtail rockfish.
DATES: Effective from 0001 hours (local time) November 1, 1996, until
the effective date of the 1997 annual specifications and management
measures for the Pacific Coast groundfish fishery, which will be
published in the Federal Register. Comments will be accepted through
November 20, 1996.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments to William Stelle, Jr., Administrator,
Northwest Region, National Marine Fisheries Service, 7600 Sand Point
Way NE., BIN-C15700, Seattle, WA 98115-0070; or Hilda Diaz-Soltero,
Administrator, Southwest Region, National Marine Fisheries Service, 501
West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William L. Robinson at 206-526-6140;
or Rodney McInnis at 310-980-4040.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following changes to routine management
measures for yellowtail rockfish were recommended by the Pacific
Fishery Management Council (Council), in consultation with the States
of Washington, Oregon, and
[[Page 56903]]
California, at its October 22-25, 1996, meeting in San Francisco, CA.
Yellowtail rockfish is one component of the Sebastes complex and is
managed with different harvest guidelines and trip limits north and
south of Cape Lookout, OR (45 deg.20'15'' N. lat.). South of Cape
Mendocino, CA (40 deg.30' N. lat.) there is no specific harvest
guideline or trip limit for yellowtail rockfish, other than the overall
limit for the Sebastes complex. The northern harvest guideline for
yellowtail rockfish (which includes the U.S. portion of the Vancouver
area plus the Columbia area north of Cape Lookout) is 3,590 mt, and the
southern harvest guideline (for the Columbia area south of Cape Lookout
plus the Eureka area) is 2,580 mt.
In January 1996, the limited entry trip limit for the Sebastes
complex was 70,000 lb (31,752 kg) cumulative per 2-month period north
of Cape Lookout, and could include no more than 32,000 lb (14,515 kg)
yellowtail rockfish and 18,000 lb (8,165 kg) canary rockfish (61 FR
279, January 4, 1996). On September 1, 1996 the 2-month cumulative trip
limit for yellowtail rockfish was reduced to 20,000 lb (9,072 kg) (61
FR 47089, September 6, 1996). At the same time, the resumption of 1-
month cumulative trip limits in November and December 1996 was
announced for greater management flexibility. The change to 1-month
cumulative trip limits also removed the provision that enabled 60
percent of the 2-month cumulative trip limit to be landed in one of the
two months.
The best available information at the October 1996 Council meeting
indicated that 2,808 mt of yellowtail rockfish had been taken north of
Cape Lookout through September 30, 1996. If no action is taken, the
3,590-mt harvest guideline for this area would be reached by late
October-early November 1996, and the harvest guideline would be
exceeded by 5 percent by the end of the year. The Council recommended
an immediate reduction in the cumulative trip limit for yellowtail
rockfish north of Cape Lookout, from 20,000 lb (9,072 kg) cumulative
per 2-month period to 6,000 lb (2,722 kg) cumulative per 1-month period
starting November 1, 1996. The 1-month cumulative trip limits in
November and December 1996 also apply to the Sebastes complex and
canary rockfish north of Cape Lookout and are the same as announced on
September 6, 1996, at 61 FR 47089: 35,000 lb (15,876 kg) for the
Sebastes complex, and 9,000 lb (4,082 kg) for canary rockfish. The 1-
month cumulative trip limits for the Sebastes complex between Cape
Lookout and Cape Mendocino, CA (40 deg.30' N. lat.) also are the same
as announced on September 6, 1996, at 61 FR 47089 for November and
December 1996: 50,000 lb (22,680 kg) for the Sebastes complex, 35,000
lb (15,876 kg) for yellowtail rockfish, and 9,000 lb (4,082 kg) for
canary rockfish.
NMFS Action
NMFS concurs with the Council's recommendation, which is intended
to keep landings of yellowtail rockfish as close as possible to its
1996 harvest guideline. The trip limit changes apply to both the
limited entry and open access fisheries, including exempt trawl gear
used to harvest pink shrimp and prawns. In addition, as stated in the
annual management measures at 61 FR 279 (January 4, 1996), ``A vessel
operating in the open access fishery must not exceed any trip limit,
frequency limit, and/or size limit for the open access fishery; or for
the same gear and/or subarea in the limited entry fishery * * *''
The annual management measures published at 61 FR 279, January 4,
1996, as amended, are modified as follows:
1. Paragraph IV.C.(2)(a)(i)(B) of the annual management measures
for yellowtail rockfish and the Sebastes complex north of Cape Lookout
is revised to read as follows:
IV. * * *
C. * * *
(2) * * *
(a) * * *
(i) * * *
(B) November-December 1996. The cumulative trip limit for the
Sebastes complex taken and retained north of Cape Lookout is 35,000 lb
(15,876 kg) per vessel per 1-month period. Within this cumulative trip
limit for the Sebastes complex, no more than 6,000 lb (2,722 kg) may be
yellowtail rockfish taken and retained north of Cape Lookout, and no
more than 9,000 lb (4,082 kg) may be canary rockfish.
2. Paragraph IV.C.(3)(b) of the annual management measures for
yellowtail rockfish and the Sebastes complex is revised to read as
follows:
IV. * * *
C. * * *
(3) * *
(b) Open access fishery. If smaller than the limits at paragraph
IV.I. of the annual management measures, the following cumulative
monthly trip limits apply (within the limits at paragraph IV.I.) during
November-December 1996: For the Sebastes complex, 35,000 lb (15,876 kg)
north of Cape Lookout, 50,000 lb (22,680 kg) between Cape Lookout and
Cape Mendocino, and 100,000 lb (45,359 kg) south of Cape Mendocino; for
yellowtail rockfish, 3,000 lb (1,361 kg) north of Cape Lookout, and
35,000 lb (15,876 kg) between Cape Lookout and Cape Mendocino; for
bocaccio, 30,000 lb (13,608 kg) south of Cape Mendocino; and, for
canary rockfish, 9,000 lb (4,082 kg) coastwide.
Classification
These actions are authorized by the regulations implementing the
FMP. The determination to take these actions is based on the most
recent data available. The aggregate data upon which the determinations
are based are available for public inspection at the office of the
Administrator, Northwest Region, NMFS (see ADDRESSES) during business
hours. Because of the need for immediate action to slow the rate of
harvest of yellowtail rockfish, and because the public had an
opportunity to comment on the action at the October 1996 Council
meeting, NMFS has determined that good cause exists for this document
to be published without affording a prior opportunity for public
comment or a 30-day delayed effectiveness period. These actions are
taken under the authority of 50 CFR 660.323(b)(1)(i) and are exempt
from review under E.O. 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: October 31, 1996.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-28402 Filed 10-31-96; 2:40 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
