[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 3, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 14682-14683]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-7888]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 251
[Docket No. 960301056-6056-01; I.D. 021596D]
RIN 0648-AI76
Financial Aid Program Procedures; Removal of Conditional
Fisheries Regulations
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: NMFS abolishes the Financial Aid Program Procedures
regulations in accordance with the President's Regulatory Reform
Initiative, which directs that unnecessary regulations be abolished.
EFFECTIVE DATE: April 3, 1996.
ADDRESSES: Michael L. Grable, Chief, Financial Services Division,
National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver
Spring, MD 20910.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles L. Cooper, Program Leader,
301-713-2396.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 1973, NMFS established the regulations
contained in 50 CFR part 251 to provide a central statement of NMFS
policy related to restricting the use of financial assistance programs
in certain fisheries in which the use of these programs has been
determined to be inconsistent with the wise use of the fishery
resources involved. These fisheries are designated as ``Conditional
Fisheries.'' The programs involved are the Fisheries Capital
Construction Fund Program (46 U.S.C. 1177) and the Fisheries Obligation
Guarantee Program (46 U.S.C. 1271-1279).
In March 1995, President Clinton issued a directive to Federal
agencies regarding their responsibilities under his Regulatory Reform
Initiative. This initiative is part of the National Performance Review
and calls for immediate, comprehensive regulatory reform. The President
directed all agencies to undertake an exhaustive review of all their
regulations with an emphasis on eliminating or modifying those that are
obsolete or otherwise in need of reform. NMFS has determined that the
regulations pertaining to Conditional Fisheries are unnecessary and
should be abolished, because NMFS has long-standing practices governing
the use of the Fisheries Obligation Guarantee Fund Program and the
Fisheries Capital Construction Fund Program that contain adequate
safeguards against using these programs in ways that would be
inconsistent with the wise use of fisheries resources. To ensure that
the Fisheries Capital Construction Fund Program will not be used in
ways that would be inconsistent with the wise use of fishery resources,
those fisheries which had been designated as ``Conditional Fisheries''
shall continue to be ``closed fisheries'' pursuant to the Interim
Capital Construction Fund agreements. The fisheries involved are the
fishery for yellowfin tuna in the area regulated by the Inter-American
Tropical Tuna Commission, the fishery for American lobster in the Gulf
of Maine, the fishery for salmon in Washington, Oregon, and California,
the fishery for king crab in
[[Page 14683]]
Alaska, the fishery for surf clams, and the fishery for Atlantic
Groundfish.
Classification
Because this rule eliminates an unnecessary regulation, no useful
purpose would be served by providing prior notice and opportunity for
comment on this rule. Accordingly, under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), the
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA, for good cause, finds that
it is unnecessary to provide such notice and opportunity for comment.
Also, because this rule is only administrative in nature and is not a
``substantive rule'' under 5 U.S.C. 533(d), it will be immediately
effective upon publication.
This final rule has been determined to be not significant for the
purposes of E.O. 12866.
List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 251
Administrative practice and procedure, Fisheries, Fishing vessels,
Loan programs-business.
Dated: March 27, 1996.
Charles Karnella,
Acting Program Management Officer, National Marine Fisheries Service.
For the reasons set out in the preamble, under the authority at 16
U.S.C. 742, 50 CFR part 251 is removed.
[FR Doc. 96-7888 Filed 4-2-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
