[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 64 (Tuesday, April 2, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 14512-14513]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-7993]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 663
[Docket No. 960111002-6087-02; I.D. 112495B]
RIN 0648-AG31
Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Designation of Routine
Management Measures
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces regulations to designate certain management
measures as ``routine'' in the Pacific coast groundfish fishery off
Washington, Oregon, and California. Once management measures have been
designated as routine, they may be modified after a single meeting and
recommendation of the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council).
Such action is authorized under the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery
Management Plan (FMP) and is intended to provide for responsive
inseason management of the groundfish resource.
EFFECTIVE DATE: May 2, 1996.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William L. Robinson at 206-526-6140,
or Rodney R. McInnis at 310-980-4030.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FMP authorizes the designation of
certain management measures as ``routine.'' Routine management measures
are specific for species, gear types, and purposes. Implementation and
adjustment of those routine measures may occur after consideration at a
single Council meeting, approval by NMFS, and announcement in the
Federal Register. Adjustments must be within the scope of the analysis
performed when the management measure originally is designated routine.
This final rule makes additional routine designations, as follows: (1)
Trip limits for all groundfish species, separately or in any
combination, taken with open access gear; and (2) in the limited entry
(or open access) fisheries, trip and size limits for lingcod, and trip
limits for
[[Page 14513]]
canary rockfish, shortspine thornyheads, and longspine thornyheads.
NMFS issues this final rule under the authority of the FMP and the
Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson Act). NMFS
published a proposed rule at 61 FR 1739 (January 23, 1996), requesting
comments through March 8, 1996. The proposed rule was based on a
recommendation made by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council)
at its October 1994 meeting. NMFS concurs with the Council's
recommendation, and, as no written comments were received, the
regulatory text of this final rule is the same as proposed. The
proposed rule and Environmental Assessment and Regulatory Impact Review
(EA/RIR) prepared for this action contain relevant background and
rationale.
Classification
The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA (AA) has determined
that this final rule is necessary for management of the Pacific coast
groundfish fishery and that it is consistent with the Magnuson Act and
other applicable law.
The Council prepared an EA for this rule (contained in the EA/RIR)
and the AA concluded that there would be no significant impact on the
environment.
This rule has been determined to be not significant for purposes of
E.O. 12866.
List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 663
Fisheries, Fishing, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
Dated: March 27, 1996.
Charles Karnella,
Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
For the reasons set out in the preamble, 50 CFR part 663 is amended
as follows:
PART 663--PACIFIC COAST GROUNDFISH FISHERY
l. The authority citation for part 663 continues to read as
follows:
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
2. In Sec. 663.23, paragraphs (c)(1)(i)(G)through (I) and paragraph
(c)(1)(ii)(A) are revised, paragraphs (c)(1)(i)(J), (K), and (L) are
added; paragraph (c)(2) is removed, and paragraph (c)(3) is
redesignated as paragraph (c)(2) to read as follows:
Sec. 663.23 Catch restrictions.
* * * * *
(c) * * *
(1) * * *
(i) * * *
(G) Thornyheads (shortspine thornyheads or longspine thornyheads,
separately or combined)--all gear--trip landing and frequency limits;
(H) Bocaccio--all gear--trip landing and frequency limits;
(I) Pacific whiting--all gear--trip landing and frequency limits;
(J) Lingcod--all gear--trip landing and frequency limits; size
limits;
(K) Canary rockfish--all gear--trip landing and frequency limits;
and
(L) All groundfish, separately or in any combination--any legal
open access gear (including non-groundfish trawl gear used to harvest
pink shrimp, spot or ridgeback prawns, California halibut or sea
cucumbers in accordance with the regulations in this subpart)--trip
landing and frequency limits. (Size limits designated routine in this
section continue to apply.)
(ii) * * *
(A) Trip landing and frequency limits--to extend the fishing
season; to minimize disruption of traditional fishing and marketing
patterns; to reduce discards; to discourage target fishing while
allowing small incidental catches to be landed; to allow small
fisheries to operate outside the normal season; and, for the open
access fishery only, to maintain landings at historical (1984-88)
proportions.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 96-7993 Filed 4-1-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
