[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 125 (Tuesday, June 30, 1998)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 35541-35542]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-17342]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 300
[Docket No. 980225048-8059-02; I.D. 062398A]
Pacific Halibut Fisheries; Washington Sport Fishery
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Inseason action.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces changes to the regulations for the Area 2A
sport fishery off the south coast of Washington. A subsection of the
south coast of Washington area, from the Queets River south to
47 deg.00'00'' N. lat., and east of 124 deg.40'00'' W. long. will be
open 7 days per week, beginning June 26, 1998, until 36,648 lb (16.6
mt) are estimated to have been taken, after which time all sport
fishing for halibut in the south coast of Washington area between the
Queets River and Leadbetter Point will be closed. The purpose of this
action is to allow halibut taken as bycatch in shallow-depth sport
fishing trips to be retained, rather than discarded.
DATES: Effective June 25, 1998.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to William Stelle, Jr., Regional
Administrator, Northwest Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way, Seattle, WA
98115. Information relevant to this action is available for public
review during business hours at this address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Yvonne deReynier, 206-526-6120.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Area 2A Catch Sharing Plan for Pacific
halibut off Washington, Oregon, and California is implemented in the
annual management measures for the Pacific halibut fisheries published
on March 17, 1998 (63 FR 13000). In accordance with those regulations,
the sport fishery in the area from Queets River, Washington, to
Leadbetter Point, Washington opened on May 1 and has continued for 5
days per week (Sunday through Thursday) since that opening. The 1998
subarea quota for this fishery is 36,648 lb (16.1 mt). This all-depth
sport fishery in this area is scheduled to close when 1,000 lb (0.45
mt) are projected to remain in the subarea quota. Immediately following
that closure, the season would reopen in the shallow-depth area from
the Queets River (47 deg.31'42'' N. lat.) south to 47 deg.00'00'' N.
lat. and east of 124 deg.40'00'' W. long., and continue every day until
the full 36,648 lb (16.1 mt) subarea quota is estimated to have been
taken.
The best available data on June 16, 1998, indicates that as of June
14, 1998, 31,327 lb (14.2 mt) of halibut have been taken in the area
from the Queets River south to Leadbetter Point, Washington. Catch rate
attainment for this subarea is significantly slower than it has been in
past years, lengthening the directed sport season over past season
durations. While a longer than usual halibut season has been beneficial
to area sport fishery operations, the lengthened 5 day per week fishery
has had an unanticipated impact on sport fishing trips directed at
species other than halibut. Because the halibut fishery is restricted
to 5 days per week, halibut must be discarded when caught incidentally
on fishing trips directed at other species on days when halibut may not
be landed (Friday and Saturday). A small number of halibut are taken
from the shallow depth area, where a significant rockfish sport fishery
occurs. Allowing halibut landings for 7 days per week from this area
will eliminate unnecessary discard of incidentally-caught halibut. Any
halibut landed from the shallow-depth fishery on a Friday or a Saturday
will count against the all-depth fishing quota of 35,648 lb (16.1 mt).
NMFS has determined, in consultation with Washington Department of Fish
and Wildlife (WDFW), that the directed halibut fishery for this area
has been proceeding at a sufficiently slow rate to justify allowing
Friday and Saturday halibut landings from the shallow depth fishing
trips that are generally directed at species other than halibut, but
which may catch halibut incidentally.
Section 24 of the 1998 Pacific halibut regulations provides NMFS
with the flexibility to make certain inseason management changes
including, among other things, modification of sport fishing periods,
and modification of sport fishery days per calendar week. In
consultation with WDFW, the Pacific Fishery Management Council, and the
International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC), NMFS has determined
that the remaining quota for this area is sufficient to open the
shallow depth fishery for 7 days per week, beginning June 26, 1998. The
all-depth fishery will continue as originally specified in the annual
management measures, until 35,648 lb (16.6 mt) are estimated to have
been taken from the south coast of Washington area. Once 35,648 lb
(16.1 mt) are estimated to have been taken, the shallow depth subarea
within the south coast of Washington area (from the Queets River south
to 47 deg.00'00'' N. lat. and east of 124 deg.40'00'' W. long.) will
remain open every day until 36,648 lb (16.6 mt) are estimated to have
been taken, or until September 30, whichever occurs first.
NMFS Action
For the reasons stated above, NMFS announces the following change
to the 1998 annual management measures (63 FR 13000, March 17, 1998, as
amended). For the Washington south coast subarea, section
23(4)(C)(iii)(A) is amended as follows:
(iii) In the area between the Queets River, WA and Leadbetter
Point, WA (46 deg.38'10'' N. lat.), the quota for landings into ports
in this area is 36,648 lb (16.6 mt).
(A) The fishing season that began on May 3 continues 5 days a week
(Sunday through Thursday) until 35,648 lb (16.1) are estimated to have
been taken and the season is closed by the Commission. Within the area
described in this section, above, the area from the Queets River south
to 47 deg.00'00'' N. lat. and east of 124 deg.40'00'' W. long. is open
7 days per week, and continues every day until
[[Page 35542]]
36,648 lb (16.6 mt) are estimated to have been taken and the area is
closed by the Commission, or until September 30, whichever occurs
first.
Classification
These actions are authorized by the regulations implementing the
Area 2A Catch Sharing Plan. The determination to take these actions is
based on the most recent data available. Because of the need for
immediate action to implement these changes to limit unnecessary
halibut discard, and because the public had an opportunity to comment
on NMFS' authority to make inseason changes to certain management
measures when those measures would further the objectives of the Catch
Sharing Plan, 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. Public
comments will be received for a period of 15 days after the
effectiveness of this action. This action is authorized by Section 24
of the annual management measures for Pacific halibut fisheries
published on March 17, 1998 (63 FR 13000, 13008) and has been
determined to be not significant for purposes of E.O. 12866.
Dated: June 24, 1998.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-17342 Filed 6-25-98; 1:42pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
