[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 133 (Wednesday, July 10, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 36306]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-17585]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 960129019-6019-01; I.D. 070596A]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; Atka
Mackerel in the Eastern Aleutian District and Bering Sea Subarea
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Closure.
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SUMMARY: NMFS is closing the directed fishery for Atka mackerel in the
Eastern Aleutian District and Bering Sea subarea of the Bering Sea and
Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to
prevent exceeding the total allowable catch of Atka mackerel in this
area.
EFFECTIVE DATE: 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), July 8, 1996,
until 2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 1996.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Furuness, 907-586-7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The groundfish fishery in the BSAI exclusive
economic zone is managed by NMFS according to the Fishery Management
Plan for the Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
Area (FMP) prepared by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council
under authority of the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management
Act. Fishing by U.S. vessels is governed by regulations implementing
the FMP at 50 CFR part 679 and at subpart H of 50 CFR part 600.
The total allowable catch of Atka mackerel for the Eastern Aleutian
District and Bering Sea subarea was established by the Final 1996
Harvest Specifications of Groundfish (61 FR 4311, February 5, 1996) for
the BSAI and subsequent reserve apportionment (61 FR 16085, April 11,
1996) as 26,700 metric tons (mt). (See Sec. 679.20(c)(3)(iii).) As of
June 8, 1996, 6,014 mt remain. The directed fishery for Atka mackerel
in the Eastern Aleutian District and Bering Sea subarea was closed
under Sec. 679.20(d)(iii) on February 14, 1996, (61 FR 6323, February
20, 1996); see also Sec. 679.20(d)(1) and opened on July 1, 1996 (61 FR
33046, June 26, 1996; see also Sec. 679.25(a).)
The Director, Alaska Region, NMFS (Regional Director), has
determined, in accordance with Sec. 679.20(d)(1)(iii), that the Atka
mackerel total allowable catch in the Eastern Aleutian District and
Bering Sea subarea soon will be reached. Therefore, the Regional
Director has established a directed fishing allowance of 26,200 mt
after determining that 500 mt will be taken as incidental catch in
directed fishing for other species in the Eastern Aleutian District and
Bering Sea subarea. Consequently, NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing
for Atka mackerel in the Eastern Aleutian District and Bering Sea
subarea.
Maximum retainable bycatch amounts for applicable gear types may be
found in the regulations at Sec. 679.20(e).
Classification
This action is taken under Sec. 679.20 and is exempt from review
under E.O. 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: July 5, 1996.
Donald J. Leedy,
Acting Office Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and
Management, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-17585 Filed 7-5-96; 4:19 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
